COMING BACK TO CEYLON. 
The habits and customs of the country have beea 
touched upon in a somewhat comical and burlesque 
style, but without any idea of laughing at or con- 
demning them. We would just appeal to any of our 
readers who have lived abroad for upwards of a 
quarter of a century, if somewhat similar ideas have 
not struck them^ as a first impression, after the free 
and easy style of life in any of the colonies. 
But although the habits and customs have greatly 
changed we don’t think for the better, the worthy 
people themselves have not changed, if you know 
how to take them ; the change is in yourself. The 
planter, after such a long absence, will not feel at 
home for the first year, at least he will wish he 
had not left, he will wish he was back again, and 
very likely return. But, to his astonishment, he will 
find matters and manners have changed, even since 
he left, his old friends with whom he used to be 
so jolly, have gone to some other district, even the 
coolies and kanganies are more troublesome, even 
“cheeky.” He does not feel at home in his own 
bungalow ! How is this ? He can’t understand it. 
It is just that, during his absence in the old country, 
he has slowly, imperceptibly even to himself, acquired 
different habits and ideas of life. Coffee estate life 
has received a shock, from which it is doubtful if 
it will ever recover : in fact, we have often seen 
planters, who after a trip “ home ” returned to Ceylon, 
for a time quite spoilt, they were dull, spiritless, 
took little in their work, and were always talking 
about home. 
We have seen others, who would arrive back again 
in great glee, shake us heartily by the hand, and 
express their pleasure at being once more amongst 
us all. Ceylon was not such a bad place after all, 
they would think twice before they went home again, 
it did cost such a lot of money. We can easily 
account for this very different view of home life. 
In the former case, the planter had remained a sufii- 
ciently long time at home, in order to get into the 
customs of the country ; in the latter case, he did 
not. The old planter, at home, after becoming inti- 
mate with his new friends, will probably be always 
teazed about, “Why does he not get married? it is 
the custom of the country.” A man of his position 
and means to be lounging about, with no settled place 
of abode, and “nobody to take care of him” — is 
positively not respectable. The old fellow will say 
he is quite competent to take care of himself, but 
his friends will declare he is not, for did they not 
see him going about the other day without his over- 
coat, which was as good as if he had a ticket ou 
